Al Warr: Hunterdon businesses that help communities thrive

Business is integral to our country’s well being. Small businesses provide most of the goods and services to meet our daily needs, and they provide most of the jobs. (See the facts at SBA.gov.)

To find a president who fully appreciated business in America, one must go all the way back to Calvin Coolidge. In 1925 he told a gathering of news editors “... the chief business of the American people is business.”

Locally, businesses reach out into the community to assist in all sorts of causes.
“We’ve joined with the Ultimate Allstars organization to provide private music lessons for the special needs community,” said Anthony Gemignani. He runs the AllStar Music Academy at 433 Route 202 in Raritan Township.

“We did a pilot program,” he said. Based on that success, the program is being extended. An open house is planned for Sunday, Jan. 29, 2 to 6 p.m. (Bad weather date is Feb. 5.)

“We’ll be serving refreshments and have an open mic jam in addition to door prizes,” Gemignani added. “Ten kids are already signed up. All teachers are specialists in special-needs education.”

His AllStar Music Academy offers private lessons to everyone in piano, drums, guitar, clarinet, sax and vocal. There is a retail boutique as well, with guitars, amplifiers, and related music items. He opened in October 2008.

For more information, go to his web site, AllStarMA.net, or call 908-788-9800. For more information on the new program, see UltimateAllstars.org.

Everyone loves a festival. These events bring people together for fun times. And without local businesses, festivals would not amount to much.

The Lambertville-New Hope Winter Festival is set for Wednesday through Sunday, Jan. 25-29. Ahead of the event, there is a Fire & Ice Ball on Saturday, Jan. 14.

The festival is filled with all sorts of activities — food, music, dancing, theatrical events, ice sculptures and demonstrations, several tours, story time for the kids, and a grand parade across the Delaware River from one town to the other. Go to WinterFestival.net for a full schedule of activities.

Lambertville’s River Horse Brewery is a major contributor. Several different brews will be on tap at the annual Chili Cook-Off. Unfortunately, this popular event is already sold out.
But you can sample some of the River Horse Brewery concoctions before the Winter Festival takes place.

“We’re furnishing four brews at a dinner at Jake’s on Wednesday, Jan. 18,” said Chris Rakow, head brewer at River Horse. He was referring to Jake’s Bar & Restaurant, 253 Route 202-31 south in Raritan Township. The four are Oatmeal Milk Stout, Tripel Horse, Hop Hazard and Special Ale.

River Horse distributes to locations from Connecticut to Maryland. You can visit the brewery, sample the brews, and take one of the daily tours of the place. Call 609-397-7776 to check times. River Horse is at 80 Lambert Lane. For more information, go to RiverHorse.com or follow on Facebook.

“Right now, I’m brewing a Chocolate Porter,” added Rakow. “It will be ready later in the month or early in February.”

Back at the Winter Festival, the Inn at Lambertville Station is presenting its annual Taste of Winter Fest on Thursday, Jan. 26, 7-9 p.m. This is an event support by local restaurants, wineries, and breweries. Some of them are El Tule Mexican & Peruvian Restaurant, Hamilton’s Grill Room, Lambertville Station, and Unionville Vineyards. Get more information at WinterFestival.net.

The parade is set for noon on Saturday, Jan. 28. All sorts of businesses — from Lambertville and New Hope — take part in the parade.

“We’re in the parade, and we’re sponsoring a drop off for pet foods,” said Wendy Warren, manager at RiverSigns.net (609-397-4467).

River Signs is a full-service sign operation that provides everything from posters to banners, magnet signs, light box signs, printing, postcards and more. Banners can be any length and up to 4 feet wide.

“Terrence O’Connor here won a national award for a sign he designed for an inn in New Hope,” Warren said. Her operation is beginning its fifth year.